Spiritual Counsel to the G8

The 2009 G8 lead-up is in full swing. Last week the foreign ministers grappled with Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Israel-Palestine challenge. There's a special Africa meeting, youth gatherings, and gloomy discussions among financial gurus. All the events feed into the summit of heads of state, which opens July 10, in L'Aquila, Italy.

Among those who believe they have something to say about the global agenda are religious leaders, so they held a summit on June 16-17, in Rome. The Italian Catholic Bishops Conference was in charge, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lent its support. About 130 leaders from different faith traditions gathered to take stock.

The annual G8 religious summit is much newer than the G8 itself but it too has become something of a ritual. Each year the agenda is shaped by the country hosting the summit. Last year in Japan two different gatherings reflected the complex picture of Japanese religions today, but both laid special stress on the environment. This year, the discipline and hierarchy of the Catholic Church with its base in Italy were much in evidence. The Church role is evident in the strong emphasis on protection of human life. And the meetings were full of pageant and symbolism, with nothing left to chance. The group met both the Pope and Italy's leaders. Their voices were heard. Even so, it's hard to say how far their message will carry, simply because there are so many voices and so much advice.

The ritual of the religious leader summit requires a declaration, conveying advice to the world's leaders. The 2009 call reflects a broad and familiar agenda: water, health, education, food security, environment, disarmament, peace, the challenge of Africa, foreign aid, and the looming shadow of the world economic crisis. It gives special weight to dealing with the plight of illegal migrants, and makes a strong plea for action on nuclear weapons. Thus it mirrors the global agenda with nuances of priority and tone.

But the religious leaders want to go beyond conventional policy advice. Their aim is to inspire, to offer a prophetic voice that will call the world leaders to heed their moral as well as practical responsibilities. They contend that "materialism often expresses itself in idolatrous forms and has proved powerless in the present crisis." They claim to "speak from the heart of the great majority of the human family". They argue that a spiritual approach "can touch the hunger for meaning in our contemporary society". They are "convinced that a new moral paradigm is essential".

In this light, the declaration's most urgent theme is its emphasis on the deep impact of the global economic crisis on the poor. The leaders urge a new financial pact that addresses root causes, acknowledges the need for moral principles, includes all stakeholders, and ensures sustained financing for development. That's a message that the world's political leaders really should take to heart.